The present invention relates to a flexible overlay for overlying non-planar portions of an article and, more particular, a flexible overlay for overlying the curved or bent edges of an article.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,516,892 to Curro, Jr. discloses a protector for protecting the exposed edges of a hollow core formed by a coil of sheet material. The coil protector includes a pair of identical disks each having an outer annular portion which is joined to the outer annular portion of the other disk, and each having an inner annular portion having a plurality of uniformly spaced cuts therein to form a plurality of tabs. The tabs are bent at a right angle to the outer annular portion and inserted axially into the core to be protected. The tabs of the second disk are cut at an equivalent but opposite or reverse angle to the cuts forming the tabs of the first disk. Accordingly, the tabs of the second disk cover the voids created by the tabs of the first disk when the tabs are disposed axially inwardly of the core to be protected.
The Curro, Jr. core protector aims to improve on another known core protection arrangement which includes deploying a single annular disk having a plurality of V-shaped notches in an inner annular portion to form a plurality of tabs. These tabs are bent inwardly into the core. While the tabs of the single disk offer some protection to the interior of the core adjacent its circumferential edge, the V-shaped voids between the tabs remain and the portions of the core are thus left exposed and unprotected at the V-shaped voids. If a strap is extended through the core of the coiled material, such as is typically done primarily for maintaining the material in its coiled condition, the strap is unsupported in the region of the V-shaped voids and can damage the underlying core area of the coiled material. The same damaging situation occurs as well when the protector is deployed in overlying relationship over the coil of material itself in that the strap is unsupported in the area of the V-shaped voids and can tear or compress the underlying coiled material. However, while the Curro, Jr. core protector advances the state of the art, the need still exists for improvements in protectors of the type which overlay non-planar or edge portions of an article.